China’s lottery market set a new annual sales record in 2025, but growth decelerated sharply to just 0.7 percent year-on-year, reflecting a marked slowdown from the strong expansion seen a year earlier, according to official data released by the Ministry of Finance.
Nationwide lottery sales totaled CNY6.28 trillion ($903.6 billion) in 2025, surpassing the previous year’s CNY6.23 trillion ($897.1 billion) but falling well short of the 7.6 percent growth recorded in 2024. The data underscore a cooling trend in the lottery sector despite the record headline figure.
Sports lotteries continued to account for the majority of sales, generating CNY4.19 trillion ($603.4 billion) for the year, up 0.9 percent year-on-year. Welfare lotteries contributed CNY2.09 trillion ($300.1 billion), representing a more modest increase of 0.3 percent.
By lottery type, the annual breakdown showed mixed performance. Instant lotteries were the main growth driver, with full-year sales rising 13 percent to CNY1.31 trillion ($188.7 billion).
In contrast, sales of number-based lotteries edged down 0.7 percent to CNY1.78 trillion ($255.7 billion), while sports betting-style “guessing” lotteries declined 3.2 percent to CNY2.78 trillion ($399.6 billion). Keno-type lotteries also slipped slightly, down 0.9 percent year-on-year.
Regionally, lottery sales increased in 21 provinces over the full year, led by Shandong, Hubei, and Henan, while 10 provinces recorded declines, including Jiangxi, Zhejiang, and Sichuan.
The Ministry of Finance said lottery authorities should closely monitor market developments and strengthen sales management to ensure stable operations, while fiscal departments were urged to reinforce oversight and maintain orderly market conditions to support the sector’s sustainable development.
